The positioning of your brand and the perception that consumers have of your company is one of the greatest assets for your business. So that this image is not harmed, it is extremely important that the company is able to deliver transparency and security to all its consumers , especially in relation to digital security.
Having adequate security tools will help your business establish itself in the market and ensure a more advantageous competitive positioning. In this sense, it is necessary to adopt good digital security practices and strategies to ensure that stored data and information are always protected.
There are numerous external threats that can cause problems for your business and cause your company to suffer various losses. See how cyber threats can cause problems for your company:
To help you, we have prepared this article with essential tips for increasing cybersecurity within your organization.
Digital security in Brazil in 2023
Unfortunately, Brazil is one of the countries most targeted by cybercriminals, suffering thousands of cyber attacks every year. In the first half of 2023 alone, Brazil suffered more than 23 billion attacks of this type , a number corresponding to twice the number of incidents suffered by the second place on this list.
Of all incidents reported in Latin America, 36% happened in our country. According to data from Fortinet , cybercriminals have increasingly specialized resources for spreading malware and applying cyberattacks, such as ransomware.
The lack of specialized and up-to-date cybersecurity professionals is also a factor that contributes to Brazil suffering more cyber attacks.
These numbers demonstrate that our country has an urgent demand for cybersecurity tools that help in the digital protection of businesses. Although there are already highly technological tools aimed at digital security, many managers end up neglecting this factor in the company and creating major points of vulnerability within the business.
Practical measures to increase digital security
Contrary to what many think, digital security is not as difficult as it seems. Although the methodologies and strategies used by cybercriminals evolve every day, it is possible to guarantee greater security using the correct tools.
In addition to adopting solutions aimed at protecting data, such as encryption and antivirus, it is also necessary to use tools that help control access carried out within the company, in addition to monitoring network traffic.
We know that cyber attacks can cause endless losses and cause the company to have its image damaged in the market, so investing in digital security becomes a priority.
According to the annual report made available by IBM, in 2022 cyber attacks represented an average expense of R$6.45 million , causing great losses for organizations. With each passing year the number of attacks increases considerably, making it necessary to implement strategies that help prevent this type of problem.
Antivirus software, tools for controlling internet access , security policies and resources aimed at protecting networks are essential for businesses that want to avoid this problem and keep their data always protected. An example of this is the harmful and unwanted website blocking .
The 4 pillars of digital security
As mentioned previously, digital security should be a priority for today's companies. With more and more ways of invading systems and stealing information, it is necessary to update and use the most efficient tools available on the market to prevent these cyber attacks from causing losses to the business.
Digital security is one of the most important aspects within companies that deal with technology on a daily basis. This valuable component is divided into four pillars:
1. Confidentiality and authenticity
Although the General Data Protection Law has brought news and guidance for companies to keep information safe, the confidentiality of information has always been fundamental within business. Since companies deal with confidential information from customers, suppliers and employees, it is necessary to ensure that this data is always protected.
This means that the stored data can only be accessed or used by authorized employees who need this information to carry out the company's activities. For this to be possible, it is very important that the business adopts certain measures, such as implementing internet access control policies , using two-factor authentication and reliable passwords, using encryption, among others.
2. Integrity
Integrity, when related to digital security, refers to the quality of the data that is stored. This means that the information must be true, reliable and accurate, without any loss or corruption.
To avoid this problem, the company must adopt extra layers of protection to prevent the loss or alteration of this information caused by unauthorized users. This access can cause countless losses for the business and harm its image in the market.
3. Availability and accessibility
So that the company's activities are not harmed, it is essential that this data is always available and accessible to authorized users . We know that, regardless of the company's sector of activity, the lack of access to fundamental information can cause great damage to business continuity.
When we talk about availability and accessibility we refer to the integrity of the services, platforms and digital resources used by the company. All these tools, used on a daily basis, must remain available and intact so that authorized users can access the data.
4. Traceability and irreversibility
Complementing the concept of availability and accessibility, traceability and irreversibility refer to the need to track activities and behaviors in a company's digital environment. It is essential to have tools that help verify identities and passwords of users who access confidential information.
In order to determine possible improper access, it is important to have resources that help track activities and ensure that everything done within the business's networks and devices is safe and reliable . This way, it is possible to identify unauthorized users and evaluate possible failures that occurred during the processes.
7 tips to improve your company's digital security
It is now understood that digital security is a key factor for modern businesses, and it is essential to find ways to improve and optimize digital security within your business. When we talk about security tools we need to keep in mind one of the most relevant aspects in this process, which is internet access.
Although this resource is fundamental for carrying out basically all activities within the business environment, we know that the internet is the gateway to cyber attacks that cause great losses . Taking this into consideration, we have selected some factors that can help keep your company's digital environment much safer.
1. Constantly update your IT inventory
When we talk about IT inventory, we are not just referring to the equipment and devices used in this sector. Frequently used digital tools also need constant updates to ensure the confidentiality of information and the security of devices.
For this reason, it is necessary to constantly update all resources used daily by employees. Just as protection tools undergo constant evolution, ways of extracting data and corrupting business systems are also updated. With this in mind, the updates presented by digital resources are fundamental to maintaining this safer environment.
2. Keep your passwords strong and up to date
We know that this tip seems unnecessary, but it is important to remember that most Brazilians have suffered some type of problem due to insecure passwords. According to the Passwords and Biometrics Report in Brazil carried out by Mobile Time/Opinion Box , around 18% of Brazilians reported that they suffered some type of problem regarding passwords used in 2022.
Along with this report, the passwords most used by these users were made available, such as 123456, 102030, 12345678, and many others . Weak passwords are easy to deduce and create points of vulnerability that could be easily avoided with the use of more secure passwords.
3. Continuous risk assessment
It is essential that managers carry out a continuous risk assessment to identify vulnerabilities and possible areas for improvement in the company's digital security. This assessment will help optimize the processes and resources used by the business to avoid cyber attacks and their respective losses.
No matter how good your digital security strategy is within your business, there is always room for improvement. More efficient and intelligent technologies emerge every day to help your business stay protected from digital threats.
4. DNS Filtering Installation
DNS filtering will help your company remain protected from access in the digital environment. We know that improper access, in addition to harming the productivity of your workers, can also represent a major cyber risk.
Some pages available on the internet have hidden threats and traps created specifically to gain access to systems illegitimately and divert confidential information . A solution for this could be Lumiun DNS , which allows your company to carry out unified and simplified management to exercise more assertive control over internet accesses.
5. Business VPN
The growth of remote work has also highlighted the need to adopt specific solutions to ensure that digital tools remain secure. The corporate VPN will bring more control and security to remote connections that are made on the company's network.
The network connections used can be a real threat to business, favoring improper collection of information and data leaks. The business VPN will make all the difference for businesses that want to establish more secure and reliable connections.
6. Artificial intelligence as an ally in digital security
intelligence (AI) is a technological advance focused on the development of systems and algorithms capable of simulating human-like intelligence. Through robust databases, AI is capable of improving autonomous decision-making through the learning, reasoning and perception “taught” to it.
Thus, concomitantly with artificial intelligence, automation has proven essential for digital security within companies.
With artificial intelligence it is possible to identify possible cyber threats in a few minutes, or even seconds. This is only possible through detailed AI analysis of threat history. From this, a pattern is identified, such as suspicious websites, malicious files, dubious emails or even internal threats. Thus, automatically preventing the leakage of confidential information.
7. Collaboration and team training
In addition to adopting digital strategies that help keep data protected, it is essential that employees keep in mind the importance of adopting safer behaviors in the digital environment. In addition to having an internet access control policy that informs and educates these employees about the risks of inappropriate behavior on the internet, it is also important to invest in training.
Your employees need to understand the dangers of the internet and how these threats can harm the progress of activities within the business. This training will help change employees’ digital behavior during working hours.
Digital security strategies: daily and constant improvements to guarantee the confidentiality of your company's information
As we can see throughout this article, there are some changes that can be easily implemented to ensure greater protection for the information stored by the business. We know that data leakage is one of the greatest dangers today and can cause companies to suffer due to the rules stipulated by the LGPD and have their image damaged in the market.
The more prepared your team is and the more secure your company's networks and systems are, the easier it will be to avoid these threats that can cause problems within your organization. Investing in the right technologies can make all the difference to the security strategy within your business.